The traditional four-in-hand necktie is a flat soft fabric construction that lends itself to being worn about the neck, generally under a folded shirt collar. Such fabric ties are knotted in the front by an adjustable slip knot such that their long flared ends overlap vertically in front. One such type of slip-knot regarded as being very symmetrical is the Windsor knot, although it consumes a substantial portion of the tie's length and can be awkwardly large if not tied snugly or if the tie is wide. With any slip knot, however, the necktie is worn with the two end portions disposed one behind the other, with their broad faces forward. The front end portion carries the knot, while the rear end portion slides through the knot. In use, the tie is worn by sliding the knotted portion over the other until the knot is snugly against the neck, bringing together two fabric strands at this same location.
Because of the difficulty in tying a good-looking knot in the traditional necktie, pre-knotted neckties that clip to the collar are commercially sold. These ties do not pass around the neck, but offer a traditional appearance when worn.
In addition, artificial knots are known that are mere slides that engage both lengths of the necktie. For example, British Patent No. 877,229 proposes such a knot formed from a laminated sheet of fabric or leather, with three flaps folded together to create the appearance of a knot. Of the three flaps, two side flaps are permanently joined, while a third, top flap carries a releasable snap-fastener. While suitable for its intended purpose, a limitation of such a knot is that it lacks the three dimensional appearance of an actual Windsor knot because the knot engages two flat lengths of a four-in-hand tie. Another limitation is that the knot does not readily retain its position tie because of the thinness and lack of rigidness of the tie surfaces.
Another British Patent, No. 710,248, proposes a similar artificial knot that engages a composite necktie, formed of a neck strap and a separate hanging portion of the tie. The hanging portion snaps to a top flap of the artificial knot, which also is passed over the neck strap. Then, side flaps snap to the top flap, locking the three part necktie together. This knot suffers a same limitation as British Patent No. 877,229 knot in that it encircles a flat tie length and lacks three-dimensionality.
It would be desirable to have a tie utilizing the convenience of some type of pre-formed and adjustable Windsor knot but which would give a three dimensional realistic look to the knot and would retain its position.
An alternative style of tie is the bolo, which is a length of narrow cord with its opposite end, portions held together by a clasp, but displayed side-by-side. Most commonly, the bolo cord is formed of three strands of leather, or the like, braided together. The clasp is metal, often decorated with stones or other jeweler's art, and is carried on the cord by metal fingers or a ring. Because of the nature of the clasp and cord, the tie is worn loosely, with relatively more space between the union of the cord ends and the wearer's neck. Often the bolo tie is considered less formal than the traditional necktie, perhaps because of the loose fit and sparse cord construction. Typically, the bolo is worn with more casual clothing and is regarded as Western or country wear. Furthermore, because of its structure, no formal or traditional type of knot is readily tied on the cord.
It would be desirable to improve the versatility of the bolo style tie, by creating a more traditional and substantial appearance that allows such a tie to appear more formal. In this regard, the present invention provides a new structure for the bolo style tie, in which allows the cord to have a much more substantial structure while maintaining its comfort.
It would be further desirable to enable the bolo style tie to be worn in a more formal and traditional manner. In this regard, the present invention enables the bolo style tie to be worn with a formal, Windsor style knot.
It would further be desirable if such a bolo style tie provided a Windsor style knot which was three-dimensional and realistic in appearance but easy to use without the need for tying. In addition, such an improved bolo style tie would desirably permit the knot to guide the two end portions of the cord such that they are naturally disposed side by side within the knot rather than in a front/rear arrangement heretofore known. The improved knot structure further would desirably permit the knot to be drawn closely to the neck such that the top of the knot may form a neat line with a shirt collar.
Still further, the improvements in the bolo style tie should allow the knot to be retained at the neck or any other desired position and provide a novel method for adjusting the knot.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the bolo style tie and method of manufacture of the new knot of this invention may comprise the following.